Matteo Correggia farms Nebbiolo on the sandy, fossil-rich hills of Roero, on the left bank of the Tanaro, north of the Langhe. The estate has been a benchmark for the zone since the 1980s, and this is the wine that made its name: Roero DOC, Nebbiolo, nothing else.
- Nebbiolo, the grape of Barolo and Barbaresco.
- Roero DOC, Piedmont, north of the Tanaro river.
- 2018, a cool, classic vintage in Piedmont.
- High tannin, high acidity, medium body.
- 14% ABV, dry.
How it is made
Roero is separated from the Langhe by the Tanaro, and the difference shows in the soil. The hills here are sandier and older, marine sediment full of fossil shells, and Nebbiolo planted on them gives a leaner, more direct wine than the clay-based Langhe. Correggia works the vineyards organically, and the wines are raised in a mix of barrique and larger oak, kept deliberately restrained so the grape stays in front.
How it tastes
Red cherry and rose petal first, then the tar and dried herbs that mark Nebbiolo. The tannins are firm and grip the palate, the acidity is high, and the finish is long and savoury rather than sweet. It is a wine that shows its structure from the first sip, with the fruit sitting inside it rather than over it.
Where it comes from
Roero was granted its own DOCG in 2004, having spent decades in the shadow of its more famous neighbours across the river. The zone covers around 20 villages around Canale and Montà, and its Nebbiolo is generally considered more approachable in youth than Barolo or Barbaresco, though the best examples age just as well.
Good to know
Roero is one of the few places outside Barolo and Barbaresco where Nebbiolo is bottled under its own appellation rather than as Langhe Nebbiolo. The name comes from the Roero family, who held the land from the thirteenth century.
